Quote:
Originally Posted by adc
I disagree about the inflection point. I have owned 3 series of all eras from the E30 going forward. The E90/2 started using runflats, and to counter the horrible bouncy ride BMW softened the suspension (but still got a brittle ride).
My 335i was an exercise in way too much power for the chassis, a BMW first. And the E90 M3 while fine in most aspects, was way too heavy.
For me the inflection point was the E46. The 330i ZHP was as fine a sports sedan as BMW has ever produced. With the E90 forward you had to get an M car to bring back the magic. Before that, you didn’t.
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I was out yesterday in my Wife's Z3. I have to admit the Z3 E30-based suspension is damned good. I upgraded the Z3 with Bilstiens and H&R sport springs long ago, which vastly improved the handling. My E30 2-door sedan, while now I'm sorry I sold it, was I good chassis and excellently balanced, great in the snow, but it was a bit small. When the E46 arrived, I was begining to shop for a replacement for the E30. I found the E46 too refined for my tastes. The chassis was somewhat removed from the driving experience, and the engine intake and exhaust was too isolated. That was late in the E46 cycle, and I test drove the E90 about 18 months later, and was sold on it almost instantly. I liked the N52 far better than the M54 in the E46. I found the E90 more connected and engaging than the E46, even with runflats. But I never drove one with ZHP, which I've come to understand is a great formula.
The F30 in 2013 when I first drove it, I found completely lacking any remainence of a BMW sports sedan. The ATS 2.0L, which I drove a week later after a week in an F30 335i, also helped my opinion that the F30 missed the mark. A lot of my opinion has to do with turbocharging. Throwing a turbo onto an in-line 6, kills the character of it. It just unbalances the car IMO. IMO the Caddy was better balanced even with just the turbo-4 and the 6speed auto. It's not a old man, Luddite thing, I've given turbo cars a chance, and I just don't like them and why I passed just last summer on a new leftover 2017 ATS automatic. I just can't do an automatic AND a 4 cylinder turbo.